Swine flu alert one level off pandemic

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its level of influenza pandemic alert to phase four, one phase away from widespread human infection, after the recent outbreak of swine flu in Mexico.

The virus has killed almost 150 people in the North American country and spread north of the border to the US and Canada, while travellers have brought the virus to Britain and Spain.

A WHO emergency committee revealed late on Monday that it was raising its pandemic alert.

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'The change to a higher phase of pandemic alert indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased, but not that a pandemic is inevitable,' a statement explained.

'Given the widespread presence of the virus, the director-general considered that containment of the outbreak is not feasible. The current focus should be on mitigation measures.

'The director-general recommended not to close borders and not to restrict international travel. It was considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention.'

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Despite a pandemic from a deadly flu appearing closer, members of the public are being urged not to panic.

The virus is yet to claims the lives of anyone outside of Mexico, leading health professionals to speculate that an infectious agent only found locally is contributing to the death toll.

In addition, the symptoms observed outside of Mexico are mild, with two Britons infected with the virus said to be recovering well in a Lanarkshire hospital.

'There seems to be relatively little human to human transmission outside Mexico,' said Dr Iain Stephenson, consultant in infectious diseases at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Leicester.

'From my understanding of talking to experts it is uncertain whether the large number of deaths is genuinely due to swine flu.

'However, if the virus was to change and adapt then it could become more virulent.'

Dr Stephenson said that while the situation in Mexico needs monitoring, cases outside of the nation have been 'pretty mild'.

'It could be that this virus peters out over the next few weeks,' he suggested.

But Dr Stephenson added: 'Even if swine flu occurs and causes a pandemic, it does not lessen the threat of bird flu.

'Pandemics occur every 30 or 40 years, this could be one now, but there could be another in ten years, and that could be H5N1 [avian influenza].'

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